A Lifetime of Happiness: Movies, TV, and Video Games

Scream 4 (2011)

January 12, 2022 Steve Bennet-Martin, Stephen Martin-Bennet Season 1 Episode 101
A Lifetime of Happiness: Movies, TV, and Video Games
Scream 4 (2011)
Show Notes Transcript

The Steves go back to Woodsboro to discuss the 2011 horror film Scream 4, along with what's making them happy in pop culture today.

What's Making Us Happy?

  • The Witcher (Netflix)
  • A Discovery of Witches (Shudder)
  • Stephen's Full Moon Ceremony Coming Up
    • Sarasota area people- more details are here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1229633494197509/

Movie Discussion

  • Names and Numbers behind the movie.
  • The horror rules of the reboot.
  • The very Inception-level meta opening
  • Why we love Kirby
  • Discussing our suspects the first time through
  • Which killer killed whom?
  • Dewey and Gail amidst a real-life divorce
  • Our favorite and most shocking deaths
  • Jill's disturbing self-harm in the climax
  • Why you don't fuck with the originals
  • Our hopes for Scream 5


Ending- Any music or audio clips were borrowed from the original source material.

Support the show
Steve:

Hello returning happies and new listeners. This is Steve Bennet-Martin,

Stephen:

and this is Stephen Martin-Bennet. And welcome to a lifetime of how.

Steve:

The podcast where we take you on our journey through some of the movies, TV shows, and other bits of pop culture that are helping to keep us happy. We'll hopefully bring a smile to your face along the way.

Stephen:

And today we're going back to Woodsboro to answer the age old question. What's your favorite scary movie. And it helps save the new generation of millennials from Ghostface in screen for

Steve:

yes, but first my love what's been making you have. Witches or I guess witchers, witchers witches. It's all which,

Stephen:

which G which, which, which, which, which ones. Yes. So we've been watching, well, we decided to start watching Witcher season two on Netflix. And during the recap, we were like, I don't even

Steve:

remember what happened in season,

Stephen:

why we were like, I thought I remembered like the broad strokes, but everything they were showing us. I have no idea what they're showing us. So we went back and watch season one, and then we watched

Steve:

season two and it was definitely good fun. It inspired me to go back and play Witcher three. Cause it's one of those games I beat before the DLC. Yeah. So it'll be my first time experiencing the two DLC packs.

Stephen:

Oh. And because when I played it for the switch, it had all the DLC, including.

Steve:

Yes, exactly. And that's not only the witchy thing that we've been watching. We just started.

Stephen:

Yeah. Uh, discovery of witches on shutter. We are only three episodes in so far, and it's going to have a slow build, but it's witches and vampires and demons, but not physically looking like any demons that we've ever seen. And they've not really delved into that yet. So I'm not even sure what these D a E M O N. Really R

Steve:

yes. So that's our quick hot take that so far, it's a slow burn, but we'll report back to see how the fire ignites when it does. Exactly. Yes. And in the meantime, is there something else that's making you happy or getting ready to make you happy in your heart?

Stephen:

Love? So on January 17th, which is right around the corner, especially if you're listening to this. When it comes out. Yeah. Um, I will be hosting a full moon ceremony at wild ginger apothecary.

Steve:

That is our local wishy shop. Yep.

Stephen:

It metaphysical health and wellbeing. And, um, they have a class space as part of the building and, um, I will be hosting their first. Full moon ceremony on the full moon on January 17th.

Steve:

Yes. So if you can make it, we'll make sure we put information to the Facebook group link where it can link over to all the details if you're local and want to join us

Stephen:

for it. And it will be a good time.

Steve:

Yes. And if you're not local, just send him a love and healing light and spirit energy that night. Yes.

Stephen:

That's always a good thing. But we should probably talk about the movie.

Steve:

Yes. Scream four is a 2011 American Metta slasher film directed by west Craven and written by Kevin Williamson, both returning from the first trilogy.

Stephen:

Yeah. And this was west Craven's last film before he died from brain cancer on October or August. 2015 at the age of 76.

Steve:

Yes. What a great director.

Stephen:

He was. Yeah. That a lot of our favorites he was responsible for. And, um, you know, his nightmare on Elm street series really paved the way for a certain type of slasher film in the eighties. And. Scream reinvigorated the

Steve:

genre. Yes, it certainly did. And the film stars are three returning heroes, nev Campbell, Courtney Cox, and David Arquette, who he spoke about in length in our first three scream episodes. So definitely if you haven't listened to those covering scream, scream two and scream three, go back and listen to them for sure. Yep. Meanwhile, it has some fresh meat to hot, babe. It

Stephen:

does. It has Emma Roberts as Jill Hayden Penta tear. Rory Culkin as Charlie, along with a slew of familiar. And, and also some new faces for Ghostface to kill off. Yes.

Steve:

And we love Emma Roberts from her work in American horror stories and scream Queens while Hayden P pennants here killed it as Kirby. Oh my gosh. But you originally over

Stephen:

from guiding light? I do. She was four or five years old on there and did this whole, um, childhood leukemia storyline. And even back then, Damn, this five-year-old is

Steve:

good. Yes. Meanwhile, she rose to fame for us, non soap opera, watching people with heroes,

Stephen:

save the cheerleader, save the world. And she

Steve:

was the cheerleader. And then Nashville, of course, as well. And

Stephen:

heck of a.

Steve:

Yes. Meanwhile, Rory is sibling to Macaulay and Kieran Culkin. And as the youngest sibling, I'm sure he loves that. We're constantly comparing him to his siblings, but he personally was previously known for his role as Morgan in M night Shyamalan signs.

Stephen:

Oh, and you have a connection to M night Shyamalan

Steve:

signs. Yes, because I am all prepared for when the. Come in and try and invade our house because I have half drank water bottles all around the house.

Stephen:

I always referred to him as the little girl from signs, because no matter what room we're in, there's a water bottle that still has some water in it, somewhere in the

Steve:

house gotta stay hydrated. Um, so

Stephen:

Courtney and David had filed for separation, um, in October, 2010, but were reported to have been very professional and respectful of one another during. With their divorce finalizing in may of 2012. And that showed on camera. Like there was nothing on screen. You could have told that they weren't getting along and still friends.

Steve:

Exactly. Yeah. Uh, the movie released on April 11th, 2011 with a budget of$40 million and received a box office of 97.2 million, a new low for the franchise, but still enough to earn a sequel scream five, which comes out on January 14th,

which

Stephen:

is if you download this the day it comes out, it comes out the next day. Well, we're going to see it on the Thursday night previews on the 13th, but then there's Friday. The 14th. Yes,

Steve:

for sure. And we're very much looking forward to it. Yes.

Stephen:

Yeah. We bought the tickets weeks ago, so we've been very, very much looking forward to it. We have our favorite seats at Ciena Veestro and we're all lined up and ready and this one starts out a little different than. Other screen movies in the

Steve:

past. It's certainly does this one starts with Lucy Hale as Sherry and Shanae Grimes beach as Trudy, uh, starting off bad mouthing soft forest torture, which

Stephen:

that's valid points though, because, um, Trudy talks about lack of character development and not really caring who lives or dies, which was definitely part of the thing with some of the Psalm movies. I just don't care exactly. You were there for the deaths and that was about it while they're actually, there were some of the Psalm movies, especially number two. Where you really did care about the characters.

Steve:

Yes. Meanwhile, normally we're used to a very long, slow buildup for the opening kill, where it can easily be a five to 10 minutes scene was getting us really just feeling us on this, you know, the edge of our seats. Meanwhile, this one, you know, they mentioned that one of them is getting texts from a guy who's stocking with Channing Tatum's fake abs like next thing you know, they're both like killed by two ghosts faced within a couple seconds of each other. And then the whole thing was maybe two minutes,

Stephen:

three minutes at the most, but then all of a sudden, instead of the screen logo flashing up on the screen, it says stamps.

Steve:

Yes. And we see Anna Paquin is Rachel not pleased by this intro while Kristen bell, as Chloe defends it saying there's something more real about the stab movies because they're

Stephen:

possible. And Rachel, just rags on the movies as being predictable. There's no element of surprise. And then Chloe

Steve:

stabs are telling you to shut the fuck up and watch the. Did that surprise you?

Stephen:

And then that's the opening of step seven. And so stab six is the opening of step

Steve:

seven step five had time travel and wasn't good at all. Yeah.

Stephen:

And then, um, the first three are the only ones based on real events. And so that always makes me think, they say that stab six is the beginning of step seven. So is there really no steps. I

Steve:

have no idea. I don't think it's to make sense. It seemed very like much what happens in like the later nightmare on Elm streets and Friday the 13th to me, where it's just kind of, you're just along for the ride because it's fun. And we do learn later on that, the reason for this is that after the first three movies, Sydney was like, if you keep using my movie for like you, my life story for movies, I'm going to Sue the shit out of you.

Stephen:

So yeah, Sydney, Prescott could no longer be a character in any of the movies. And if the rails, and, but now we get the real opening.

Steve:

Yes. And this time it with features, Brent Robertson is Marnie and Annie Teegarden as Jenny Britt Robertson. We know her from the secret of the circle of the dome.

Stephen:

Yeah. She's in every show that gets about one season, bless her heart because she was in the secret circle. She was an under the dome. She was in another show where. Um, she was a foster child type of thing. Yeah. And poor girl extremely talented.

Steve:

And she was on the first season of this show that you like the big, big stuff.

Stephen:

She was in big sky. So yeah, she's not in season two

Steve:

poor girl, but yes, both great actresses. They provide expectations, uh, the exposition about why stab went off the rails in the movies, but in a fun way, uh, Jenny pranks Marnie with a ghost face call. But while on the call, we hear Marty gets

Stephen:

stabbed. Yeah, it was real quick. And then Jenny gets a call from the real ghost face who seems more obsessed with the movies than. Ever before.

Steve:

Yeah. He throws Marnie's dead body through the window and chases Jenny upstairs, stabbing in the back and calling her, causing her to fall down the stairs to the garage.

Stephen:

And then she tries to crawl out the garage door, but then he closes it on owner back and then pulls her back inside, rolls her over and finishes.

Steve:

Yeah. And so my love like that is now the official opening opening. What are your thoughts on the three quick openings?

Stephen:

So. I remember, um, when the movie was coming out and, you know, you see some of the things, um, and I was like, Ooh, you know, this has some of the people that I absolutely love, like Anna Paquin and Kristen bell, they're going to be in it. And then they were in it for two minutes and you're just thrown off the whole thing. And you're not even sure what to expect. And even with, um, the Marnie and Jenny stuff. Okay. Is this real? And then finally, whenever the screen thing pops up, you're like, okay, that one was for good. And I think it was really good because there was something we were expecting. Yeah. And they didn't give us those expectations. I Bravo to them for that.

Steve:

Yes. I mean, and I would say, you know, D definitely like I was left like a little still hungry for more afterwards, because we are used to that big, long buildup of adrenaline for like the big payoff. Um, but it, it also, you know, as. Entire podcast is going to be a spoiler field. As we break down the entire movie. It is definitely good for the overall theme of the movie where, you know, the killers are more obsessed with the idea of fame and movies and the trivia and everything more so than ever before, I would say in the first three movies, um, and just with how meta it is, you know, breaking the fourth wall a little bit more than the originals. It definitely is like the next step in the evolution of the scream openings.

Stephen:

Yes, very much so. Yeah. But this is all good. And a bit of weird timing because Sydney's back in town with her PR person, Rebecca portrayed by Alison Brie from Netflix's glow. Yes. We love her and she is there to promote her book out of the darkness on the anniversary of the original murders. And Woodsboro is the last stop on our tour. Rebecca is very proud of herself for scheduling it that way. And because it's also the anniversary of the killings, someone has taken all of the towns streetlights, um, and decorated them with hanging ghosts faces.

Steve:

Yes, it certainly is leading it up where, you know, Woodsboro lives this on a yearly basis.

Stephen:

We definitely see that later on that they do at once we talk to the kids more, but we'll get there

Steve:

and it kind of, it's, it's interesting to kind of see the comparison between that and Halloween where we've seen what the town is like on Halloween. So many years later now with the new reboot of their franchise, where they take the very solemn, like respectful approach of like a horrible tragedy happened 20 years ago. And, you know, we, we mourn it and we wait for it and blah, blah, blah. Meanwhile, this one, it turns that it more in like the pop culture celebration, almost of the deaths, you know, like a weird Cobb kind of way.

Stephen:

Do you think that's because billions. Died. And so they don't have to worry about it. Whereas Michael Myers is still living. And so hadn't field is forever under. That guys of the Reaper and Woodsboro can look back on it as something that happened. Partly

Steve:

and I also think part of it was that the Mo the movie stab probably did more of a disservice to the real life tragedy to begin with, because these kids who are watching it are like growing up in the town, see stab, and they don't understand the real impact of the tragedy that these were real people with real stories that were really murdered in this, you know, obviously fiction, but like that it was a real life tragedy that they just see as a. And the same way that we might go to a film festival for a movie we love, you know, if it was based on true events, you know, you kind of

Stephen:

lose kind of the people that watch the Ted Bundy movies. And then you've got the people that lived through Ted Bundy's murderous spree. Exactly. Yes. Well, next we're introduced to my favorite character of the movie Kirby, as she's driving recklessly past deputy Dewey, who is now sheriff Dewey, and still married together. And she picks up Jill and Olivia who were talking about Trevor Jill's recent ex. And we also learn that Jill is Sydney's cousin, but they barely know each other.

Steve:

Yes. Um, on the way to school, they get a call from ghost face from the victim's phones, but we learn it's an app that people can use. And it's a popular prank around this time of year. Yeah. So they

Stephen:

don't really think anything. Uh, deputy Judy Hicks played by Marley Shelton. I am already ready to not like her because she meets up with Dewey and is clearly hot for her boss.

Steve:

Yes. Eat my moist wor. I haven't squares Dewey. She's not that cheap might as well have been. She's been very overt in her. Factuation with him and you know, my

Stephen:

love for Gail. So immediately I hate deputy Judy. Yeah.

Steve:

And they get called to the Randall house where Marnie and Jenny were killed. Meanwhile, Gail is looking to reinvent yourself for the new book, but has writer's block.

Stephen:

And because, you know, it's been time she's written books about the first three things. She doesn't know where to go. In terms of writing something from her imagination entirely

Steve:

holds her knickers bay, because you're about to have something new to write about. Yes.

Stephen:

Old tear knickers, the OJI trio reunite as the police arrived, tracking a phone to the trunk of Sid's rental, which is filled with a killer's phone and a knife, as well as promotional posters of Sid's book. And they're all smeared with blood.

Steve:

Yes. And Sid is referred to as the angel of death or the Reaper by these kids. I mean, most people seem to see her as an innocent victim, but the kids also see that anyone she ends up being close with dies while she gets delivered. Do you think that's fair

Stephen:

partially? I do. Um, because like, why her? Why is she the survivor? Why couldn't any of the other people. In any of the other movies technically been the survivor and it does start to look like, obviously do he hasn't gotten any fame from this. Gail got some, but not as much as she wanted, Sid's parlayed this into a celebrity survivor. And so I can definitely see how the kids. You know, are saying, well, anybody that's close to her, they're all dead. Her best friend, her boyfriend, her roommate dead, dead, dead, dead. Yes.

Steve:

And I mean, I've had that experience before, at one point with a coworker I worked with where they were like, yeah, every job I ever work at, someone dies. And you know, after a while you're like, do I really want to keep working with you? Every time, like, you know, it's just working with you, the shortens my life expectancy by a

Stephen:

couple of years now, does the person die while your coworker is working with them or did they die? Oh, so it's like, while they're working together, the person dies that would have me looking for a new job.

Steve:

And she she's just like about once a year after go to a funeral for an employee.

Stephen:

It's not good. It's not good enough

Steve:

either. It's not really funny. Cause it is true, but it just goes to show, I mean, you know, the angel of death hot,

Stephen:

and this is former coworker, correct? Yes. It's a, it's a current coworker.

Steve:

Well, of course it is. Well, let's just say in, in, in three days it'll be a former coworker.

Stephen:

There we go. So at the Woodsboro high, we run into Randy 2.0 AK Robbie and his friend, Charlie played by Eric Knudsen and Rory Caulkin as well as Trevor blade by Nico Tortorella.

Steve:

Yes. The news quickly breaks in class about their classmates.'cause that's how social media works nowadays. Yep. Robbie and

Stephen:

Charlie have, um, an online show called hall pass and Robbie is almost always streaming because that's what he thinks the future is going to be. Everyone always broadcasting their lives.

Steve:

Yes. And just the same way that you naturally just don't like Nico Tortorella as a person. Yeah. Trevor tries to play the victim about the breakup with Jill and we can just see he's just full of shit.

Stephen:

And Joe, thankfully calls him on his. So, um, you know, I appreciate that. Um, she's already willing to stand up for herself where, you know, back in the original, we saw Sid willing to push back against Billy A. Little bit, but Billy also got to climb through her window and make out with

Steve:

her. Yes. I mean, meanwhile, uh, do we refuse us to let Gail help him with the murders? So she goes through. Well telling deputy 2d that our lemon squares tastes like

Stephen:

ass. Good job, Gail, sit. And do he question Jill and Olivia about the prank calls they received this morning. And of course, Kirby is the scene stealer and she's immediately worried because she's next. Am I, am I next? Because I didn't get a call. Am I going to die? Yes. And I just love that. Hayden Panettiere is perfect in this movie.

Steve:

He is now Sidney is staying with her aunt Kate Roberts played by Mary McDonald and Jill. Uh, Kate is Maureen sister

Stephen:

Jill gets a visit from Trevor similar to what I just talked about with Sid and Billy in the first movie. And Trevor says, what are you doing in the house with Sydney Prescott? It's like being on top chef with Jeffrey Dahmer and then deputy Joey gets creepy with Sydney out in the hall. Where she's all, like we went to school together and said like, you know, it was a long time ago. I'm sorry. I don't remember. I remember you and that's okay. Quick side note. So, um, I did not go to my 10 year high school reunion and we did not have a 20, um, but I got to town a couple days after my tenure and, um, Jay that you met at Monica's wedding was showing me pictures from the reunion and he's like, and there's this. And I was like, okay, okay. I was like, who's that? And he's like, oh, blah, blah, blah. And I was like, no. And he's like, you know, from, and I was like, I have no idea who this person is that you're talking about. So I totally get what Sid is talking about here. Yes. Now, obviously Trevor and Judy are made out to be the first. Do you buy either of them as potential ghost faces?

Steve:

Yeah. I've I feel like Trevor was like almost too predictable. Um, well the deputy Judy, I was like, yeah, I could definitely see that.

Stephen:

Yeah. Like that was the one where I started thinking, you know, in scream three, they tried to make us think that McDreamy was a potential suspect. And so are they going to really do it this time? That one of the. Involved with the investigation is also one of the killer. So I was ready for deputy Judy to be one of the ghost face. But the big thing about this with me it's Woodsboro yes. Scream. One took place in Woodsboro. We have Sidney's aunt Kate Roberts. Where was aunt Kate? During the action of scream? One it's not sad. I have a theory. You have a

Steve:

theory. Yes. I have a theory that she was battling cancer and working a case against a company that gave her cancer with the help of a. The lawyer. Uh,

Stephen:

so you think that rebel was helping her and she was dealing with cancer somewhere in the San Fernando valley? Yes,

Steve:

exactly. Just because that's the other place that I know her from. And so it all adds up.

Stephen:

She also danced with wolves and she was the lead in the, um, American version of absolutely fabulous. Okay. But, so here's my theory. Okay. They didn't live in town

Steve:

at that point in time. Yeah. I don't think they did either. They just

Stephen:

came back because I think her dad would have said something along the lines of, you know, there's money on the table for pizza or whatever, and call your aunt Kate if you need anything. So I don't think Kate was in town. I think that by the time sit in, her dad moved from Woodsboro because obviously Sid's dad doesn't live in Woodsboro anymore, either because he wasn't in this movie and we've not heard of him passing. So. Obviously she didn't live in town at the time because, um, Sid doesn't know Jill. So I think by the time sitting her dad were totally done with the Woodsboro Kate and Jill moved back to town. Yes.

Steve:

That makes sense for me. Okay.

Stephen:

So, um, while you know, all this action is happening in the Robert's house. Olivia gets home next door and Joel calls her and Kirby gets a call from ghosts. But it's coming from Trevor's phone number and ghost faces all like I'm in the closet and Kirby's like, he's trying to do a ghost face. And he's like, she's, you're not in

Steve:

the closet, which then we get this awesome reply of, I never said I was in your closet. And all of

Stephen:

a sudden he jumps out of a Livia, his closet and it. Horrific and gruesome and so much

Steve:

blood. Yes, it is. That got me the first time. Oh

Stephen:

yeah. And especially, so see, it goes jumps into Sydney mode and, um, she's going to run next door and she notices both cops are not in the patrol car out front suspicious. Um, but it's too late when she gets there and she gets a call from Ghostface claiming that it's not about all, about her anymore. And Jill rushes in to see Olivia and Ghostface shows up. Joe gets a defensive wound from Ghostface and then goes face squares off against Sydney. And Sydney goes all bad-ass and they go down the stairs together. Um, but goes face escapes. Is the police. And then Trevor shows up out of nowhere. And that was like another like suspicious thing again, like he was supposed to be there earlier and then time moved and changed. And why did he stay in the neighborhood? I don't know.

Steve:

It definitely was. Like to throw us off the scent. I don't know the real reasons fictionally, why, but I also want to know with like how locked down that area was, how did Charlie get away? Cause we know it wasn't Emma, who did it because she got the defensive one. So this was Charlie who did the killing,

Stephen:

maybe Charlie lives in the neighborhood. Yeah, because we don't really know where the kids live. Like in scream. One Woodsboro seemed a lot more spread out. Yeah. And. Were screened for Woodsboro seems a lot more suburban.

Steve:

Yes. I agree. Now that city, yes. Is that all the people outside are just yelling at Sydney. Like it's all your fault. You're just like your mother and

Stephen:

you bitch. And I'm like, wait a minute, somebody dies. And we're going to blame Sydney for being like her mother. That Karen was just reaching. I'm sorry.

Steve:

Yes. So Gail goes to collaborate with Charlie and Robbie, but they're more interested in Kale's connection to sit, which helped us not

Stephen:

really love no. And Sid fires, Rebecca for being too money, hungry and opportunity.'cause Rebecca knows that the new murders will up the book sales alive.

Steve:

Yeah. She's like all excited about it. And when like, sit sees how excited she is at all these people dying around her, she's like, you're disgusting. You're fired. Yeah. Rebecca then gets stalked and killed by Ghostface in the parking garage of the hospital. And she's thrown off the parking garage onto the parking or onto a news van during a press conference we're doing, he said he had things under control.

Stephen:

It was, that was a really interesting scene because. There've been a lot of movies over the years that play on your fear of somebody stalking you in a dark parking garage.

Steve:

I mean, that death itself wasn't groundbreaking, but the whole throwing the body off and onto a van was shocking. Yeah.

Stephen:

And especially because he had stabbed her, but like she screams all the way down. So, you know, she's not dead. She makes the impact. And I love that Gail talks to sheriff Dewey and says that he needs to get back on team Gail. Yes. Which is also interesting. It wasn't team Dewey and Gail it's just team Gail.

Steve:

Yeah. And do you think that this is jail since she was at the hospital? Or you think that this was still Charlie? Um,

Stephen:

Jill had an arm wound and I think that Kate was going to be around. So I think it had to have still been true. Okay.

Steve:

Gotcha. Gotcha. I agree

Stephen:

now at cinema club, we get Charlie and Robbie's version of a Randy law. Which that's a word you just made up? Yes,

Steve:

because in all the original movies, we had Randy being the one to explain how then the first one, how horror movies work in the second one, he explained how sequels work in the third one. He explained the difference between another sequel and the trilogy and how to know the difference. And so they had this version of it, which I call the Randy log as they go into that, the killer isn't just doing another season. They're doing a remake. Yup.

Stephen:

So the new, new version of the killer should be filming all the Miller's murders. So the. Art is going to be as immortal as you

Steve:

are. Yes. The other rule is that the killer is going to be a stab fanatic, going to do the remake to outdo the original.

Stephen:

Yup. And the only real way to survive a modern horror movie is to be gay.

Steve:

Thank goodness. Yay. Finely, the silver lining all of the haters. Now

Stephen:

going off the rules of the remake, the first kids, the first kills were two kids home alone, like, um, Casey and Steve from the original and then the class Hottie. And so they're saying that the ending will end at a party?

Steve:

Yes. I mean, while they're like, at the same time as being aware of that, they're like, Hey, let's throw a party. Stab athon.

Stephen:

Well, we already have this party every year. And, uh, They deduce that there's going to be a third act, main character, blood Beth.

Steve:

Yes. And this occurs at which is very underground, all seven movies back to back, which, and I'm like, ha. Do they get to stay up that late 14 hours, 18 hours, just imagine. Oh my goodness. I would not. When we were teenagers,

Stephen:

we could do that.

Steve:

I could not do

Stephen:

that. You couldn't do that when you were in Tampa.

Steve:

Always been a little big old sleepy baby.

Stephen:

Yeah, no, I could stay up all night for a movie marathon.

Steve:

Yes. And the kids won't let Gail and Sydney nowhere. It is

Stephen:

later that night at the Robert's house. Didn't Jill have a heart to heart talk. Citadel's Jill, if there's anyone on earth that knows how she feels that it's her and Jill asked for advice on how to deal with all these people. That just seem to be there. They're going to be looking at her. And Sid says that, you know, she focuses on the people. She cares. Which is

Steve:

hard because Joseph fucking sociopath and doesn't care about anyone.

Stephen:

And it's also hard for Sid because everyone she cares about doc.

Steve:

Well, she still has Galen Dewey, but yeah, it's interesting in hindsight, knowing that Jill is, you know, one of the two murders and ultimately like the one that she's more just like asking for advice, like how can I handle it once I get famous from the song?

Stephen:

Like, how do you. With everybody always watching you because I'm going to be the new you. Yeah,

Steve:

exactly. It just gives you another layer to it

Stephen:

all. Yeah. Gail sneaks end to stab a fan wearing a ghost face mask and she sets up cameras throughout the location that she's going to monitor from her car, but her cameras start going dark. And then she sees a ghost face disabling the last one, Gail Gail's on the phone with Dewey and lets him know that things are about to go. lets him know where it is. And then she decides that she's going to go in and fix them herself. And we're like, Hmm, no,

Steve:

don't do that. Because as she's fixing, once she sees another one that isn't hers proven the killers are in fact filming the kills and ghost face

Stephen:

attacks and stabbed scale once. And I was really worried about this because it's too early in the movie for Gail to take a wound.'cause you know, in scream, scream too and stuff she's there at the end and she'll take a bullet and stuff, but this was too early. So my first time. She's about to die. Yeah. I was really scared.

Steve:

Yeah. But I mean, she did the, you know, she's learned a couple of things from her first three experiences and she kicks the kid. She kicks the killer back, uh, which also pushes herself down from the second story onto the first into the crowd, saving her life. And she shows the revolution with Dewey that the killer is recording the movies or recording the move murders to make the movie.

Stephen:

And now it's time for the cops that are watching the Robert's house to die. As we say goodbye to both Adam Brody from the OSI and Anthony Anderson from Blackish. Yes.

Steve:

You both were kind of jokes.

Stephen:

No. Um, they do have a conversation in the car about the horror trope of the cops getting killed in these types of movies. Oh yeah. I mean, that

Steve:

goes back to black Christmas. As we saw in our episode, we did

Stephen:

about it, that guy watching the sorority house out. He

Steve:

does. And I still say it was the creepy boyfriend and not the killer that did it. I

Stephen:

tend to agree with that as well. Um, now ghost face call Cindy to turn on the

Steve:

news. And once again, we're. What if she turns the onto the wrong channel, is there only one news channel in TV? Yes, there is only one news channel and it is showing that Gail is in critical condition and they're hinting that they are coming for her family.

Stephen:

Now Jill's out with Kirby and Ghostface comes for sitting Kate and. Like go. So he's just trying to get in the door. And so they're trying to brace themselves against the door and aunt Kate gets down and she has her feet wedged against the stairs and her back against the door, but then goes face steps, Kate in the back through the mail slot. Yes. And that was the death. I did not see coming like that.

Steve:

It was a brutal death. The fact that it was like in the back of the head, but I mean, at the same time, how many times in horror movies do we see people like holding the back? Like we see it going through the door and I'm like, one of these days, one of these killers is going to actually have good aim and just wham. And we see here that sometimes they actually do yep.

Stephen:

Ghostface. Ethan says, what good is it to be a survivor? If everyone around you in this little drama ends up dead is being the sole survivor, its own curse. Even if you like.

Steve:

I would say, so, I mean, I'd be haunted as fuck if like a killer came and killed everyone that I love including you

Stephen:

and that you like, you know, you have to be like, are you happy that you're still alive? If you have to keep reinventing yourself every time this happens because you know?

Steve:

Yeah. Cause I mean, this happens to you one. Already fucked for life the 7 2, 3 times. And you're just like, oh my goodness. By the third time, you're like, I need to write a book. Yeah.

Stephen:

I mean, Sidney tried to, she, I wanted to go to college and be an actress. Okay, fine. I'm going to be a hermit and change my name. Okay, fine. Now I'm going to write a book like when is enough enough? I don't

Steve:

know. We'll find out tomorrow.

Stephen:

Yes. And Gail's at the ER and she's going to be okay. Everybody. And Gail tells Dewey catch that motherfucker.

Steve:

Yes. Catch them. Indeed. Now the surviving teens are partying at Kirby's house as the after-party talking about how the remake must one up the original. So the party at was the fake. Is this after party, the real ending,

Stephen:

uh, we'll find out Kirby and Charlie are flirting over their Zandra love and almost kiss before Trevor interrupts them

Steve:

because Trevor ruins everything.

Stephen:

Yup. Jill had gone out to get her phone to prove that she hadn't texted Trevor and invited him there. Trevor also leaves to find Jill. And this is part of the rule of horror. You got to have people missing for the opportunity for them to be killed or be the killer.

Steve:

Meanwhile, we know that Jill is the one who texted him to come over because she's the one who's gonna pin it on him. Meanwhile, Robbie is live-streaming outside drunk when he gets attacked by ghost face. With his last words being you can't there's rules, I'm gay. If that helps doesn't help. And do you think that he really was gay in real life? Or do you think he was trying to say that so that he wouldn't get killed?

Stephen:

I think he was because like whenever he gave did that revelation, it was not shocking to me. I pegged him as the gay one. All

Steve:

yes. Now sit arrives. As Ghostface follows, chasing you're up to the roof as Jill hides under the bed and Sidney calls Dewey for backup.

Stephen:

I did love this because, um, If Jill hadn't been involved, it really would have made it seem because Sid leaned over the roof and she

Steve:

was offended. She was saying goodbye to

Stephen:

her. Okay. Jill, just run, run, and go get help. And I mean, I was like, that was really smart.

Steve:

Yes. It's certainly.

Stephen:

Unfortunately, Sid gets punched off the second floor roof and she runs and she finds Kirby and they run and hide in the basement.

Steve:

Yup. And in the basement, Charlie tries to come in and Kirby doesn't let him in because it says, if you can't trust him, let

Stephen:

him in then goes face, captures Charlie and straps him into a chair like Casey's boyfriend in the first. And they're playing the horror trivia game with. And it's all very much like the first screen. Yes.

Steve:

She impressed rattles off what appears to be every horror remake ever, and saves Charlie only for him to stab her

Stephen:

twice. And we see her struggling and bleeding out potentially dying off screen, but giving us just enough hope that she survives come somehow. Now, west Craven had publicly stated that, um, in the original version it was going to be said at the. That Kirby had lived and they had filmed it and everything. Um, but it was cut from the final cut of the movie for unknown reasons. Yes.

Steve:

And I mean, I love Kirby as a character. I mean, she just sticks out because of her January and like love for the genre of horror. She also like, while she's beautiful, like she's intelligent, she's smart, she's witty, she's charming. But like

Stephen:

she's a, well-rounded fully developed character that is. A caricature. Yes. She seems like a real person and she, and no offense to anybody that came before in the movies. But other than the R three survivors, she's the first one from any of the sequels that stuck out to me as. Really impressive.

Steve:

Yeah. And even with those new generations, so many other like of the kids, you can like consider like, oh, well Jill is suddenly 2.0, Trevor is Billy two point. Oh like there was no Kirby, like in any of the scream movies previously, she is just

Stephen:

no, she's not like Sid's roommate. Like this is, this is a brand new character. And I think that's what. She sticks out the way she does. And it's left a thing for years because I, you see on social media, anytime this is discussed or the new scream that's coming out as discussed it, they're like, you know, justice for Kirby, Kirby lives, all those types of different things. So there's something about her that resonated with the scream fan base?

Steve:

Yes. Meanwhile, Charlie attack Sydney. And in the struggle, a second ghost face appears and stabs Sydney revealing herself as jail dunk dunk, duh. Oh my goodness. Now, what did you think of these two being the ghost face?

Stephen:

Um, the Jill one shocked me because I really thought they were setting her. For a new trilogy. Yeah.

Steve:

Yeah. And I agree. And then I also didn't expect Charlie because he's the Randy character and Randy was just so sweet and like the first time oh yeah.

Stephen:

Whenever he was untied and he stabbed Kirby, it shocked the shit out of me. And, but then I was like, Ooh, good for them. But then I was like, oh, well obviously the other one is Trevor and have. Wait, are they gay? Or like, and were we wrong that Charlie wasn't the Randy and Charlie was the stupid.

Steve:

Yeah. Nope. But instead they want to be the next Cindy and Randy, but this time the geek gets the girl and they do that because they're going to pin it all on Trevor to be the scapegoat. Jill shoots him in the Dick and then the forehead. Yeah,

Stephen:

Trevor, um, got the shot and the Dick for cheating on her. So, you know, he had what was coming to him and. You know, I love when, um, Charlie was like, you're the perfect victim, Jill.

Steve:

Yes. Oh, so sexy. Yeah. Their plan is to simply get Insta famous as the final two survivors with Jill suffering from Jan syndrome, from her childhood being all about Sydney, Sydney, Sydney. Yeah. And

Stephen:

then Jill predictably kills Charlie because. What the media really love is a soul survivor because I don't need friends. I need fans. What am I supposed to do? Go to college grad school,

Steve:

get a job. Yes. She stabbed Sydney again, who we assume has died. That

Stephen:

shocked me. Yes. Like, because this seemed like something that Sydney was not going to survive. I was not prepared for the second stabbing

Steve:

of Sydney. No, not at all. And what was more shocking afterwards is the fucked up shit that Jill does as she's fixing the crime scene. She scratches her face and pulls out her hair using Trevor's dead hands while stabbing her. Throwing yourself into a glass picture, frame on the wall, and then throwing herself back down to a glass coffee table. I mean, it's just brutal seeing her hurt herself. I mean, there's something almost more fucked up about watching herself harm than watching the actual

Stephen:

kill. Yeah. And then like, because she has to be the new Sydney, she stands there and watches house Sidney is posed dad on the floor and poses herself and her hands. Exactly the same so that there are mirror images. Yes, separated by 20 years. Yes.

Steve:

Now at the hospital Jill's plan is working until she mentions to Dewey that she and Gail have matching stab wounds, which she shouldn't know.

Stephen:

No. And Gail picks up on that immediately.

Steve:

Um, so didn't help that Sydney's still alive in ICU and she just might make it. Oh,

Stephen:

yay. And, um, You know, Gail is the smart one and the relationship because she did notice Jill slip, when do we didn't because he walked all the way down to Gail's room to tell her that. And she's like, how does she know? Yeah. And so Jill knows that she has to go kill Sydney and that's not how it was supposed to end. Nope. She

Steve:

goes to killer and the struggling at this point, how does she think that she's going to get away with that? I.

Stephen:

I think in her mind that she may try to blame that Sidney just freaked out and Sidney tried to kill me. Yeah. Like, I don't know, like at this point I think her, however long she's been planning this, it finally snapped and

Steve:

she's just flying by the seat of her pants, because I mean, she knocks Dewey out with a bed pan,

Stephen:

but, and she's hitting all of Sid's wounds, like where she was stabbed and all those.

Steve:

Oh, yeah. Rushes in and followed by deputy Judy who then is

Stephen:

shot. But, and we're like deputy Judy did a good thing because she saved Gail whenever she jumped in. Yes,

Steve:

she was good for something.

Stephen:

And then just as Jill was about to shoot Gail again, um, Cindy powers up the defibrillators and Gail says, can I have one final word clear, clear?

Steve:

And then Sydney shocks her to death

Stephen:

and Sid shares the last rule of the region. Don't fuck with the original. Yes. Dumpy Judy's alive. Thanks. Still a Bulletproof vest, man. Yeah. Don't fuck with Gail and Dewey. Judy.

Steve:

Nope. Dewey says she was standing right behind me and Sid

Stephen:

says they always

Steve:

are. And turns around just to shoot. Bill, no Jill, Jill with a bullet

Stephen:

to the chest. And we see all the reporters outside spout about how Jill was a modern day hero. She's the American dream. And we close the movie on her dead face.

Steve:

Yes. What are your final thoughts on the movie? My

Stephen:

life I loved, loved loved it. I only love it more as the years have gone on. I think that it really does. Rank up there as high quality. And I don't think it got the appreciation it deserves when it came out. I think it may have even been ahead of its time. Yeah.

Steve:

I, and I would have to say in terms of ranking the first four, that the surprise of my second favorite after the original, I like it even better than scream to

Stephen:

oh goodness. Because screen two might be. All time favorite? Like, so have different,

Steve:

I know rankings Miami wine 4, 2, 3.

Stephen:

I think mine is 2, 1, 4, 3. Yeah. But like, it's really close. Like this one was so inventive and like stayed true to the essence of a screen movie. While feeling very fresh.

Steve:

Yes. And speaking of fresh, what are your hopes for the new one? Um, that Gale,

Stephen:

yes. That's always my hope with this cream sequel. I always want it and Gail to live. Um, I'm very interested to see what happens because in the trailers for it, Dewey appears to be living in a trailer. Yes. And so I'm like what happened in the last 10 years before. Gale and Dewey, like I'm guessing they must have split up again. Yes. Um, we know Sydney is living somewhere around the LA. Yeah. Um, I'm interested to see, uh, um, because I love the second poster for the movie before it came out, said it's always someone, you know, which I love that line. And then the last poster had. Every character we've seen in the trailers and it says the killer is on this poster. Yeah. And I love that. Like, because you really think like it they're there. Like it's one of them and I'm interested to see, cause they talk in the trailer that, um,

Steve:

the victims are people who were related to the original killers.

Stephen:

And I'm wondering like the motivation for it. Like how it's all going to. Coming together. And I wouldn't hate it if you know, there's a throwaway line of, you know, and, um, Kirby moved to. Washington DC and lived happily ever after. We don't need her to be in the movie. Just say out loud. She's alive. I'm good. Yes, please. What about you? Do you have anything specific you were hoping for?

Steve:

I would say that I'm hoping that it has some really cool deaths, but that Gail is safe and probably Sydney at this point, because I think they're going to, at this point, we want it to become having. Sixth. So I would say one of the trio has to die. It should be doing, yeah.

Stephen:

I'm okay with that and seeing it as it's the directors of ready or not, which we loved so much. Um, I have a lot of faith that they're going to do a good job with this.

Steve:

Yes. So we'll be sure to give you our hot takes on it in an upcoming episode, but

Stephen:

we would love to hear what you think about scream four or any of the screams in general. Yes, you can

Steve:

do that by emailing us@happylifepodatgmail.com.

Stephen:

You can also get on touch with us on any of the socials, whether that is Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or TechTalk at happy life. Yes.

Steve:

And until next time everyone stay

Stephen:

happy and don't get

Steve:

stabbed. Yes, please. Don't get stamps. I.